For his last disc, Matthew West did something
different. He invited his fans to send him
stories about their lives, and he used that as inspiration in writing the
songs. It worked so well, that he did it
again for his latest release, Into the Light.
And the results are just as fantastic.

Frankly, one of my disappointments is that we don't get at
least a hint of the story behind some of the songs in the booklet. Yes, they are posted on his website, but last
time there were a few lines about each song with the lyrics. Not that these songs aren't universal and
enjoyable by all, but it's always fun to hear a bit about what inspired them.

Things start off with the light and bouncy "Into the
Light." It's a fun mid-tempo opener
that celebrates our salvation and being freed from the darkness of sin.

"Hello, My Name Is" is one of my favorite tracks
here. Again, this one has a nice, up
beat tempo and a very catchy melody. The
first verse talks about regret and defeat, but then the song goes on to remind
us that we are really the children of God, and that should be how we identify
ourselves.

"Moved by Mercy" is probably the most unique song
on here. The first verse finds Matthew
introducing a woman who was abused and hurt as a child. But starting with the chorus, Caitlin Evanson
joins him, and she sings from this woman's point of view while Matthew sings
the promises of God that He hasn't abandoned her and is working in her
life. It really captures the struggle
between pain and the promises of God well while still offering the hope of
God's truth. While this one starts out
slow with some strings, it soon gets a driving rock beat.

And hope is certainly one of the main themes of the
disc. "Unchangeable" focuses
on God's unchanging love for us while "Wonderfully Made" reminds us
that God made us exactly as He intended.
Even "We are the Broken" is an encouragement to share who we
really are so others can see God working through sinful, imperfect people.

There are some songs of struggle here. "Waitin' on a Miracle" is a song of
someone trying to hold on to their faith despite the trials they are
facing. It's surprisingly upbeat
musically wise. "Restored" is
the song of a marriage in trouble as two people commit to find the love that
once brought them together. And
"The Power of Prayer" is written from the point of view of a kid who
is watching his mom's heart break from the way his dad is treating their marriage. This piano ballad is one of the few slow
moments on the disc.

There are even a couple songs of conviction on the
disc. "Forgiveness" is the
difficult call to forgive those who have serious wronged us. It's got some cliched thoughts in it, but
it's still a good track. I also saw
where "Do Something" was going early on. It is a call to action against the unjustness
that happens in the world. The first
verse is our reminder that God made each of us to do something to stop these
things we see in the world around us.

I've saved my other favorite for the end. "Love Stands Waiting" is great song
reminding us that, no matter what we've done, God's love will take us back when
we repent. It starts out slowly, but
soon builds to mid tempo on the chorus.

Honestly, that's the only issue with this disc. "Forgiveness" and "The Power
of a Prayer" are the only truly slow moments here. The rest is pretty much mid tempo with a few
faster tracks. And it's all guitar and
keyboard driven. It's just shy of
blending together. More stylistic
differences would really makes the tracks here stand out. But that’s a minor point because the songs
here are just as powerful.

Matthew has taken what could have been a gimmick and turned
it into two great discs now. Into the Lightis a second great disc inspired by real people's struggles and the truths
of God's word. Listen and be encouraged.

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